


Opus

by LamiaHypnosia



Series: Dies Irae [2]
Category: The Outer Worlds (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Dark, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Reminiscing, Suicidal Thoughts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:14:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27712559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LamiaHypnosia/pseuds/LamiaHypnosia
Summary: Phineas reflects on his loss, trying to put aside grief and anger for the good of the colony. But as always his ghosts torment him. Only one thing keeps him going - the barest sliver of hope.
Series: Dies Irae [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2001835
Comments: 1
Kudos: 3





	Opus

If he held up his hand he could make Terra 2 disappear, swallow it in his palm. Phineas’ thoughts raced. He remembered what the guard had said, about resisting. They must have taken Kat and shot Kenna when she refused to give up the child. 

Only he'd escaped. Coward! He raged at himself. What kind of father could he be to Kat now? Tartarus or exile were his only options. No one would harm her. Not even Carew was that evil, to her credit. 

Kat would be safe, wherever she was. 

And Kenna. His sweet Kenna. 

Over and over and over Phineas thought of her last moments. She died defending their daughter from corporate thugs. He still saw her clearly, all memory of her even the most mundane had a glow to them.

Watching her brush her hair. Kissing her goodbye for the day for her to pull him back for another kiss, and another. Seeing her smile leaning in the doorway watching him work on some piddling hobby of his. The natural light playing on her skin. How close she held him when they made love. 

Even before that. Sometimes Phineas would lie awake at night and sort through his memories of Kenna.  
The first time he met her, not even knowing her name. The happy sickness that took him when he realized she reciprocated his interest. Saying her name almost reverently to himself. Watching her face when she was unaware simply taking in her beauty. Their first kiss. He’d been so awkward and fumbling but she just thought it was cute. It had been at a reception, some bigwig’s daughter’s birthday or other. Phineas had been invited to pad the guest list and his plus one got a few looks tossed their way. Where did he find such a lovely creature? Was she from accounting? No, who would forget a face like that. Welles was mingling with someone from another company. She wasn't Spacer's Choice at least. How bold! A goldblood hunter. How delicious. But Phineas ignored them all. 

“Phin?” Kenna had asked, so sweet and shy. “Would it be alright if I…”

“What?” He’d pressed, so intoxicated by the music, the dancing, holding the most beautiful dancer in his arms.

Her eyes lowered, veiled by long lashes. “I kind of want to kiss you.”

Phineas almost choked. “Are you serious?”

“Y-yeah.” Kenna stammered.

Without any more hesitation he kissed her. It was so abrupt she stared at him nonplussed. 

“What’s wrong?” He asked hastily. “Was that incorrect?”

A smirk tugged at her lips. “More data is required.” and pulling him close Kenna had kissed him. 

Phineas’ parents had been surprised and confused when he brought Kenna to meet them. His mother, Kathryn had been coolly polite but his father Alfred borderline flirted with Kenna asking if her mother was single. Of course, Phineas knew Kenna got her good looks from her father. He’d only met Mr. and Mrs. Frost once, thank the Law. They weren’t thrilled either. Phineas did sense Kenna’s mother Prudence thought Kenna was ‘marrying up’. Except Kenna took little with her and moved into Byzantium with Phineas and rarely spoke to them until after their child was born. 

The memory of how her entire face had lit up when he showed her the marriage contract was etched into Phineas' mind. How fast she signed it and became Kenna Welles. ‘I’m already yours but I want the whole system to know.’ How her joy elevated her beauty to a level that took his breath away. That night Kenna remarked how in olden times a marriage was consummated. They’d sneaked off and gotten close before but time or nerves stole the moment. But now, truly alone together at last they gave in. 

Bliss.

Phineas thought he was the luckiest man in the colony. It never failed that he’d be the first to clock out, excited to get home and be greeted by his beloved. No matter what she was in the middle of doing she’d rush to greet him. Sometimes he’d fall asleep thinking about this and he could see her face, as though she were right in front of him.

He hated waking from those dreams. All he ever had was nightmares.

He still heard the screams. Sometimes they were screams of his subjects dying in agony. Other times it was Kenna screaming at him, enraged by her death at the hands of the UDL and Phineas felt every second he’d killed her as surely as though he’d pulled the trigger himself.

He couldn’t even think of Kat. How he’d abandoned her to the Board and let them kill her mother. How she must despise him. 

Eventually he forbade himself to think of Kenna either. He couldn’t. But sometimes the grief hit him out of nowhere along with the guilt. 

Sometimes. Often. That pistol looked very friendly. A few seconds of courage and it would be over.

The work. His work must continue.

Success.

One survived.

Then the one betrayed him.


End file.
